Foong Wai Fong’s ‘message’ is directed at PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim.

Coffee shop speculations are rife that going price in East Malaysia is RM2 million per crossover, so that 23 crossovers would cost RM46 million.

Anyone or party coming with that kind of money is suspect. Questions will be asked how and from where such sums of money could be raised – and how being spent they will be replenished. If any Opposition party or leader were proven implicated, that’s a critical blow to the Opposition’s moral position that accuses the BN of money politics and corruption.

Anwar Ibrahim made the first mistake by telling reporters (when he should have kept silent) that many lawmakers in the ruling coalition wanted to defect to his camp after their election debacle and approached him. Anwar however did make clear that they were welcome to defect but no bribes would be paid to make them to cross over. “We will remain consistent and committed to the code of ethics. If you want to surrender at a price you have chosen the wrong party,” he told reporters. If you want to surrender at a price you have chosen the wrong party,” he told reporters. “People have approached and discussed … but no one dared raise the issue of price (of defection) to me,” he said, without elaborating. He said he believes some will eventually defect, even without monetary inducement. But he refused to say if the numbers would be enough to topple the National Front government, which is facing its worst political crisis in the 51 years it has been in power”.
(Source: report of International Herald Tribune – The Associated Press Published: March 17, 2008).

In todays news (The Star pg 12 of 22nd March) Anwar asked “why 23, why not 53?” He said the number was pure speculation. The question of buying people does not arise. It is not our tradition”. PAS endorses. Its president says PAS welcomes BN MPs crossovers but “they should do it out of sincerity and not because they are enticed by money or forced” – pg 4 of Star of 22nd March).

DAP is, so far quiet, about the issue. Maybe it is better stay that way. It is fatuous to suggest that these people cross over for sincerity when they only recently won their seats. To say it is not Opposition’s tradition to buy crossover begs the question whether or not it is the tradition of those who crossover to do so for a price/monetary consideration.

We all know that many have crossed over in the past elections and for what reasons. The International Herald Tribune opined: “Buying political support, especially by paying voters money, is common in Malaysia, and bribing lawmakers to defect, while not widespread, is known to occur”.
If indeed en masse defections from BN occur in East Malaysia who but the most naive would believe that is due to “principles” and sincerity and not financial inducements?

Once the Opposition decides to play this game it will forfeit its moral right to criticize the BN for seeking to embark on buying Opposition to cross over to the BN, playing the game which they know best and have perfected it to a state of art. Even not counting the moral and ethical aspects of the equation, does the Opposition have as much financial resources as the BN to finance cross overs??? All I know is many politicians from both sides of the divide will get rich from winning a seat and then get paid to cross over.

This has got profound implications on DAP esp. in light of recent statements that it is working out a formal cooperation in coalition Barisan Rakyat. Can this work out if DAP is looking at upholding principles of democratic and secular governance, PAS , a theocracy and PKR, forming an immediate government shoat Anwar may be installed Prime Minister, with a latter two in a hurry to realize their respective divergent goals regardless of methods to achieve them?

“I think his war cry of BN politicians crossover is a strategy to make them condemn such acts as I think Anwar is more afraid of his MPS crossing over (or bought over)than the other way round. “ – pwcheng

Then it is a bad strategy that guarantees back firing.

If one is afraid of one’s own MPS crossing over, one does not resort to war cry (publicizing BN MPs cross over) that will only make the other side takes the gloves off and retaliate faster to do against one self the very thing that one proposes to do to the other by the war cry.

Secondly, if Anwar is more afraid of his MPS crossing over, then surely he surely has a very poor and dim view of he integrity of this own Opposition MPs (as far as PKR’s MPs go) that he himself, as defacto head had a part in choosing and fielding as candidates.

Thirdly by such a ‘war cry’ he is only delivering on a silver plate to the opposing side (the BN) the golden opportunity to seize the moral initiative to look good and smell sweet! Already BN’s minister Datuk Mohd Zaid Ibrahim told reporters this a t a press conference at his residence:

“We cannot allow people who contested on a particular party’s ticket, make all kinds of promises to convince the people and after winning, they switched over to another party. To me, these people have no integrity and I hope the government will formulate a special law. It’s high time that we have the ‘Anti-Hopping Law’ to stop such acts” He said although switching political party was not against the federal constitution, it had negative impact on the country’s administration. Zaid said he would propose that the matter be discussed at the Cabinet, adding that such a law had already been adopted in several countries including India.
He believed the formulation of the proposed law would be supported by the opposition too. “The proposed law will benefit all parties. It’s an issue that is good for national stability, that respects the aspiration of the people, why won’t the opposition support it?” he said.

“I’m making the proposal to help overcome the crisis in the era of the new democracy in the country so that it will be more orderly.,” – source NST 22/03/2008.

I will be the last person not to acknowledge his ‘intelligence’ and political strategic capabilities : the Opposition’s ‘victory’ in 2008 GE is in many ways attributable to him, starting with LingamGate, his unseen hand behind some ‘reformasi’ street demonstrations, acting as intermediary between PAS & DAP all built on the political capital of being persecuted by TDM. However his overarching ambition for power may have overtaken his political strategic capabilities.

However one must remember intelligence and capability is one thing, character is another, and no leader can be great unless he also possesses the latter!

Today everything has been positioned for him to lead the BR coalition to complete victory in the next GE and become PM. (The position of Opposition Head has even been conceded to Wan Azizah to pave way for him after April).

Although everyone has ambition to reach the top of power, the critical question is always to procure the power for what purpose : is it for narrow self interest or to be able to wield power to effect change of people’s lives for the better.

The expectation is that he will lead the new order of politics for Malaysians yearning for better democratic governance after 50 years of lack and want thereof under BN.

If out of pure ambition and nothing more he is rushing to take over the helm by resorting to the same tactics of BN decried, then this is not a good sign of things to come, he would disappoint many and BN will have the opportunity to reverse its losing streak and recapture the support lost in 2008 GE. He would have squandered the historic opportunity to be the leader that makes the difference. At best the place in history books will be a come back kid (after fall from grace due to TDM’s machination) to emerge triumphant as another TDM’s clone.

This poses the fundamental question to DAP: do you still stand by democratic principles opposed to katak cross overs??? PAS has made its stand: its ok if they crossed over due to “sincerity”.

What about the DAP?? Your silence is liken someone retreating deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of a cave not wanting to respond to voices calling for you from the outside for a stand.

Silence may not be consent but it certainly may pass off as acquiescence!

This has profound implication on your proposing to work in collaboration with PKR and PAS in the formal coalition of Barisan Rakyat.

Your ‘partners’ have shown signs that they are in a hurry – never minds the means -to accelerate the attainment of the end of dislodging BN and assuming political power, one perhaps for the prize of Prime Minister’s position, the other for the earlier fulfillment of God’s mission and goal to establish His state.

What about the DAP? The silence on this major public issue of crossover is deafening!

As far as undemocratic practices go, will the DAP be an opposition within the Opposition – or deferent to PAS/PKR like MCA to UMNO?

Hypothetical problem – (say for example only), Sarawak United People’s Party (Supp) has called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to consider Serian MP Richard Riot Jaem to fill one of the several federal cabinet vacancies. Assuming that wish is not gratified. As a result Richard Riot Jaem and all the SUPP MPs who won on SUPP/BN ticket defect to join BR which then has majority to form government and give SUPP’s rep a cabinet position as promised in consideration of mass defection.

Kataks will then say that they did not betray the party SUPP because the entire SUPP party defects from BN. On the argument that they betray the constituency that voted them in the BN’s ticket, again Kataks would argue that they were voted upon expectations that BN leadership would appoint their elected representative to cabinet position and if these expectations of their constituency were not fulfilled, then their constituency would be more than happy to support their en masse defection from BN to BR if by so doing, BR could, in being able to form a government thanks to the defection, reciprocate by fulfilling their constituency/voters’ aspirations for cabinet representation at federal level. So there’s no betrayal of their constituency by party hopping, the “kataks” would say : staying on in BN unrepresented at federal level is betrayal!

You can say Devil will cite scripture for His own cause but that’s how the justification for crossovers will be put forth…..

The trouble with BN is that its candidates are voted for bringing material devlopment rather than freedom of speech or other freedoms. East Malaysian contituencies are more likely looking at material devlopment and benefits – which they may think is facilitated by having their representatives in cabinet – and which camp serves this cause more than just strict allegiance to ideology of BN vs BR….(That is why overall they supported BN on 8th March as compared to West Malaysians’ protest votes on ideological grounds against the BN). After BR’s astounding ‘victory’ and perched on verge of taking over government with 30 crossovers, they may think why not leverage on that to bargain for federal cabinet representation in new govt that they help form by cross overs?? Of course they are not thinking of high principles but what serves their parochial interests.

Gentlemen,

At level of principles, I guess it will be hard to defend party hopping and cross overs. Undergrad’s hypothetical poser of which is more important – constituents’ rights to freedom of speech or the candidate’s right to freedom of association – is a difficult question for which I do not know any local court has been asked to balance and adjudicate upon. Even PAS’s. Kelantan MB Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat supported Zaid’s move, if you believe MSM (NST)’s report – “I agree,” said Nik Aziz, “elected representatives should not disappoint the people who had voted for them. Party-hopping is not the work of politicians but those who makan upah (accept money).” Interestingly PAS’s spiritual advisor’s opinion not exactly shared by its president Hadi Awang. From principles perspective, it is right to say people intending to cross should quit the BN as well as the seat and participate in a by-election.

It is however another argument if you proceed on realpolitik principles (political expedience as HB Lim terms it) that our Anwar may be taking.

Take for example what Gerakan vice-president Datuk Dr S. Vijayaratnam said, “Switching camps amounts to a betrayal of the people’s confidence. If they do so, a by-election must be held.”

A lot of Opposition supporters (Lim Kam Put for example) just won’t buy such argument. The Gerakan did not talk on these lines before when BN induced cross overs in the past from the Opposition’s side and hence has now forfeited its claim to high principles of democratic fair play at this juncture when it is vulnerable. What is sauce for goose is sauce for gander, Opposition sympathizers would say.

HB Lim’s point – that just because BN stooped to doing it in the past is no justification for BR holding higher claims to democratic best practices to emulate quid pro quo – will be balanced against what is really on the ground. By that I mean is there really betrayal of constituents in East Malaysia context in real practical terms?
HB Lim said, “we are assuming that the SUPP supporters vote for expediency or development support and not on high principles…. For all we know, they may be endorsing the BN’s form or model of power sharing and that is voting based on principles and not on some narrow expediency”.
But is the assumption wide off the mark looking at real situation on the ground??? Do you really believe that looking at their record of crossovers in past??? Well that’s the candidates but talking of constituents, and their rights to freedom of speech, I have been told the BN in past could (esp in less developed parts of Sarawak accessible by river), afford giving them boats or engines, televisions and other material benefits etc to secure votes. I stand corrected if this is wrong.

And even if as HB Lim said, “for all we know, they may be endorsing the BN’s form or model of power sharing” (at the time of polls), do they still endorse that power of sharing representatives elected was appointed to federal cabinet position, as appears to be the main grouse at this moment? As I said, the “kataks’ who may be citing scripture for their own cause, now argue that it is the BN that has post election reneged, betrayed their constituents’ legitimate expectations, and to stay on represents greater betrayal.

What is the DAP’s position on Zaid’s proposed anti party hopping bill? We have yet to hear it.

Thanks LadyGodiva for the link. Wow it is a thesis, indeed the question is complex. As always it is what considerations weigh more when one juggles between (a) one’s own own self interest,(b) the party’s or coalition’s interest (these may be separate) and (c) consciences and principles in balance.

The way to stop crossover is collect in advance the undated letter of resignation of the candidate to resign as Member of Parliament, so that the moment he crosses, he is treated as having resigned with his resignation leter dated and given effect thereby forcing a by-election. :)